Israel's proposed Jewish nation-state law hits hurdle

November 16, 2014 3:50 PM

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JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Divisions within Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's governing coalition delayed on Sunday a preliminary vote on a proposed law to declare Israel the nation-state of the Jewish people.

Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, who heads a centrist party, has expressed concern that the rightist-backed legislation would put preservation of Israel's Jewish character above democratic values, and she blocked its discussion in a ministerial committee she chairs.